1 . Los Angeles is a relatively new and spreading city, which means there’s a big canvas (画布) for architects of many styles to put their 3D stamps on the city. For architecture fans, here are some must-see spots.

Watts Towers

Designed and constructed by Italian-born Simon Rodia over the course of three decades, the 17 towers—the tallest is 100 feet high—consist of metal and found objects such as broken glass, pottery chips (陶器碎片), seashells, etc. You can take a guided tour of this place, learning about the history of this attractive project. 1727 E. 107^th St., LA.

Getty Center

Architect Richard Meier’s shining city on a hill took 16,000 tons of marble to build but today it’s a wonder, housing the Getty’s main art collection and offering unbelievable views of Los Angeles. 1200 Getty Center Dr., LA.

Sturges House

Frank Lloyd Wright designed nine different structures throughout Southern California. This was Wright’s first turn away from the textile (纺织) block buildings he’d been designing in California and toward stressing natural factors of the structure to mix with the natural surroundings. 449 N. Skyewiay Rd., LA.

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Frank Gehry has lived in Los Angele s for decade s and hi s world has been se en throughout the city. This one, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, is his most luxurious (奢侈的) building in Southern California. You need not sit through a symphony performance to get a glance at the interior(内饰). The concert hall offers free self-guided audio tours recorded by actor John Litligow. 111 S. Grand Ave., LA.

1. Where should you go to visit Watts Towers?

A．1200 Getty Center Dr., LA.	B．1727 E. 107th St., LA.
C．449 N. S kyewiay Rd., LA.	D．111   S. Grand Ave., LA.

2. What is special about Sturges House?

A．It is made up of 9 structures.	B．It is a textile block building.
C．It fits in well with its environment.	D．It is a luxurious building.

3. Who designed Walt Disney Concert Hall?

A．Simon Rodia.	B．Richard Meier.
C．John Lithgow.	D．Frank Gehry.

2 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

My hometown is Hangzhou, which attracts a great many tourists every year. Hangzhou played a very     1     (importance) role in Chinese history, so it has a number of great heritage sites well reserved.

Lying on the west district of Hangzhou city, West Lake     2     (be) the symbol of Hangzhou as well as one of the most beautiful     3     (sight) in China. West Lake has all along been praised as a sparkling pearl.

If you want to enjoy     4     whole West Lake, there are three kinds of sceneries you need to see. The sunny one, the rainy one and the night view of it. There is a saying that the sunny West Lake is not equal     5     the rainy West Lake, and the rainy West Lake is less beautiful than the West lake at night.

At last there is a love tale, which happened at West Lake. It is said     6     a white snake changed into a beautiful lady, who     7     (call) Bai Suzhen. She was willing to repay Xu Xian for     8     (save) her life 500 years ago. Then she married him, living together     9     (happy). But the Monk Fa Hai kept doing wrongs to her. He finally made them part. Bai Suzhen was shut in the Leifeng tower and the couple had no chance     10     (meet) again.

3 . John Muir once said, “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity.” With the right knowledge, skill set and equipment, you’ll have a nice experience if you want to live in the wild. But remember, safety first.     1    

Figure out the course of action suitable for your environment. Ask yourself these questions first:     2     How many supplies would you need to start with? Do you have the skills to survive in the climate you’re considering?

Practice “survival techniques” at home before you need them. For example, learn how to make fire without matches or lighters, which is very necessary in the wild.    3    .

    4    Bring the right clothes and practical items like rope, knives, netting, lantern and flashlights, dried food, some medicine, water filter, compass and Map of Area, blankets, mirrors, axe, radio, whistle, tool and sewing kit, etc.

Consider taking classes before you leave. You re best off if you have some types of training before you set off to your dreaming Mother Nature.     5    . Also, learn to be calm when emergency happens.

A．Work out a supply list.

B．The following tips may be helpful.

C．Where will you choose to set up your camp?

D．Living in the city is much safer.

E．You need to lean some basic knowledge of first aid.

F．Being alone in the wilderness means that you’ll live your own life.

G．Consider doing some crazy things, like learning to eat insects for survival.

4 . The following are a few places recommended by tourists.

Ka’awaloa Trail

The pathway is steep and continues for about 2 miles each way, so the way there will be a lot easier than the way back. Keep in mind that the loose rocks may present a dangerous situation when slippery, so do carry the appropriate footwear and plenty of water to fight against the intense sun.

Mauna Kea Summit

Most hikers give themselves 8 to 10 hours to finish the journey. Don’t forget to register at the Mauna Kea Visitors Center before setting out, and plan on being back before sunset. The weather here is unpredictable and completely unique to the rest of the island. This area is pure wilderness, and altitude sickness is a definite risk, so researching the hike in advance on the Mauna Kea website is a must.

Waipio Valley Trail

Famed Waipio Valley, the former home of King Kamehameha, shouldn’t be missed by nature lovers. Be sure to catch a glimpse of nearby Hiilawe Falls from here, flowing 1,300 feet at the back of the valley. About 6.5 miles round-trip, this adventure will most likely be too difficult for beginner hikers due to the steep inclines(倾向) and length.

Onomea Bay Trail

Onomea Bay offers two different hikes from the Mamalahoa Highway in Papaikou. The first, the Donkey Trail, follows a stream through the Hawaiian rainforest past a small waterfall and to the ocean. The second, Onomea Trail, goes just to the right of the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden and past the Alakahi stream. Many choose to combine the trails or pair the hike with the botanical garden for added adventure.

1. What should tourists be careful about in Ka’awaloa Trail?

A．Burning.

B．Loose rocks.

C．Dry weather.

D．The steep pathway.

2. Why is the visit to the Mauna Kea website in advance?

A．The journey lasts long.	B．There exist many tourists.
C．There’s a potential danger.	D．The weather is unpredictable.

3. What do the last two items（Waipio Valley Trail and Onomea Bay Trail） have in common?

A．They attract plant lovers.	B．Tourists can see waterfalls.
C．Tourists can hike along a stream.	D．They aren’t suitable for beginner hikers.

5 . It’s difficult to imagine now, but at certain points in the Earth’s history, ice covered the entire planet. This frozen Earth, nicknamed Snowball Earth, was “so severe that the Earth’s entire surface, from pole to pole, including the oceans, completely froze over”, said Melissa Hage, an environmental scientist at Emory University in Georgia.

In 1840, Louis Agassiz, a Swiss natural scientist, was among the first to acknowledge and provide evidence that the Earth had gone through ice ages. Joseph Kirschvink, an American geologist, later created the term “Snowball Earth” in a 1992 textbook.

Scientists believe that four severe ice ages occurred between 750 million and 580 million years ago, probably because the Earth’s lands were all located at or near the equator (赤道), which resulted in increased weathering (风化). Weathering is happening when wind and rain break down rocks and minerals on the planets surface. The process leads to decreased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, which allows more heat to get away from the surface and into space, cooling the planet, causing the planet into a deep freeze.

The severe ice ages eventually melted away. Scientist believe that volcanoes continued to pump carbon dioxide into the atmosphere throughout the ice ages, eventually warming the planet enough that the water cycle could restart. As the Earth warmed and came out of its deep freeze. a huge explosion of life occurred. known as the Cambrian (寒武纪) explosion.

Will we see another Snowball Earth in our future? According to Hage, it’s unlikely, due to the spread-out of the continents. “Even with extreme winters, continental ice sheets would form, which would stop continental weathering and allow carbon dioxide to build up in the atmosphere, leading to warming rather than freezing,” she said.

1. How many severe ice ages occurred between 750 million and 580 million years ago according to the passage?

A．Three.	B．Four.
C．Five.	D．Six.

2. What do we know about the Earth according to the passage?

A．The term “Snowball Earth” was first used in 1840.

B．Millions of years ago, the Earths lands weren’t where they are now.

C．Weathering was the main factor of warming the Earth.

D．The Earth was completely covered with ice during the Cambrian period.

3. What probably led to the end of the ice ages?

A．Heat’s escaping.	B．An unknown reason.
C．Carbon dioxide from volcanoes.	D．A force from the outer space.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Snowball Earth: The End of the Life

B．Some Severe lee Ages in the Earths History

C．Frozen Earth: Another lee Age Is Coming

D．Snowball Earth: Will the Blue Planet Go White Again?